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Body Contouring

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Body contouring helps women and men from Maryville, Edwardsville, and the St. Louis area improve their appearance after significant weight loss. This combines different procedures to allow Dr. Ryan Diederich to remove excess fatty tissue and loose skin. Because the skin has lost some of its elasticity, excess tissue and skin do not conform to your now smaller frame. Exercise can strengthen muscle but cannot address excess skin, fat, and loss of elasticity. If you have loose, saggy skin following a large weight loss, body contouring in Glen Carbon from MidAmerica Plastic Surgery may be right for you.

Who May Benefit From Body Contouring?

Body contouring is performed to:

• Remove excess sagging skin and fat.
• Smooth and tighten tissue.
• Create smoother contours.
• Define and shape the body.

Body Contouring May Be Right for You if:

• You have excess skin laxity.
• You are physically healthy and don’t have a medical condition that impairs healing.
• Your weight is stable.
• You do not smoke.

Before Body Contouring Surgery

• Get lab testing or a medical evaluation, as needed.
• Take certain medications or adjust your current medications, as recommended.
• Stop smoking well in advance of your surgery.
• Avoid taking aspirin, anti-inflammatory drugs, and herbal supplements as they can increase bleeding (if OK with your primary care physician. If you cannot stop please let us know).
• Pre-Op instructions will be provided before the procedure. Please read these thoroughly for additional information.

The Day of Body Contouring Surgery

• Completed as an outpatient or with hospital stay depending on your particular needs.
• Nothing to eat or drink the day of surgery.
• You will need someone to drive you home and stay with you for the first 24 hours.

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After Body Contouring Surgery

Recovery is patient dependent. Post-op instructions will be provided before the procedure. Please keep these close throughout recovery.

Seek medical attention immediately if you have any of the following:

• Shortness of breath
• Chest pains, or unusual heartbeats

Complications From Body Contouring Surgery

As with any procedure there are risks. Fortunately, with a thigh lift, these risks are minimal. These include but are not limited to:

• Unfavorable scarring
• Bleeding (hematoma)
• Infection
• Fluid accumulation
• Poor wound healing
• Skin loss
• Blood clots
• Numbness or other changes in skin sensation
• Anesthesia risks
• Skin discoloration and/or prolonged swelling
• Fatty tissue found deep in the skin might die (fat necrosis)
• Major wound separation
• Asymmetry
• Recurrent looseness of skin
• Pain, which may persist
• Deep vein thrombosis, cardiac and pulmonary complications
• Persistent swelling in the legs
• Possibility of revisional surgery

Now What?

Dr. Ryan Diederich is a board-certified plastic surgeon specializing in a range of aesthetic and reconstructive plastic surgery procedures at MidAmerica Plastic Surgery in Glen Carbon, IL. If you’re looking for a plastic surgeon east of St. Louis, you can schedule a consultation online, or call us at (618) 288-7855 to schedule an appointment. A $200 consultation fee will be collected to reserve your appointment.

*This article is intended as a guideline only. This is not intended as medical advice. There are no guarantees written or implied from the information presented here. Only a consultation can provide an appropriate evaluation and discussion regarding any procedure. Refer to your physician for medical decision making and advice.